Saturday, May 2, 2009

A TRIBUTE TO PALAWAN

The Nation's Last Frontier
 
Unclimbed mountains, virgin forests...
so rugged, so remote... so dense;
So wild and so tranquil until suddenly awaken
by the thunder of breakers.
Oh sweet Palawan..., our native land, 

the Nation's Last Frontier!
Oh rivers, great and small,
vivid and serene...
Wild and yet so peaceful... oh so tamed
The sweet smell of the sea
of fish and salt air;

The fragrance
of dainty-colored wild santan blossoms;
In summer sky,

the reedy cry of wheeling gulls.

Oh rattling bamboo trees
melodious and unique;
The seabirds

glide above the gorgeous Ursula Island,
As the raucous colony of sea turtles

below they watch.

Be fascinated
by the impeccable beauty
of Tubbataha Reefs;
Be mesmerized
as you watch

the ethereal cliffs of El Nido;
 
Be mystified as you tour
the mysterious Underground River;
Be tantalized
by the pearly-white beaches

on Honda Bay;
 
 Dream again as you see
the crystal-clear Nagtabon beach;
Feel like a baby
as you watch

the frolicking mousedeer beneath Balsahan Hills;
Have a reviting feeling
as you enter the gigantic Tabon Cave,
where the world's biggest pearl was found.

Savor the delectable milky sweet taste
of young coconuts;
Enjoy the exquisite scent
of the budding rice and corn in the fields;
Applaud the racing crabs and parading blue lobsters;


Dance with the multi-colored fish
that glides and leaps;
And in the summer,

sing with the warbling Maya birds.
 
Admire the towering steeples
of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral
The Holy Trinity University
in the heart of Puerto Princesa brings nostalgia;
 
Celebrate with the eternally hospitable
and friendly citizens of Palawan!

All these contribute

to making the province second to none.
Beloved Palawan, 
our dearest sweet homeland. 
 
 
Poem written by Andrew Taylor
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